In you I trust
by Lora Kael
Summary: Short stories centering around Princess Cassandra and the Rangers. Every since she was a little child Cassandra has always trusted the Rangers. She can't really explain why, she just does. These are little glimpses into her life and interactions with the King's Rangers.
1. Chapter 1

**In you I trust**

AN: This is the first standalone in what I think will be a short series of standalone stories centering around Princess Cassandra. I haven't decided how many shorts I want in this series, but each can stand on their own. Since they all center around the same subject/person(s), I've decided to group them together. No promises on how often a short will appear here, but when I change the status to complete it means I have decided I have written all the shorts I wanted to. :)

* * *

Cassandra had always felt a special connection to the Ranger Commandant. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because he had saved her father's life and had always been there for them, but so had other people and she didn't feel the same way about them.

No, Crowley was special to her and she just felt naturally drawn to him. She couldn't count the times she had watched him sneak up behind someone, nearly scaring them to death while she had to stifle her giggles. Or the times she had hidden herself in a tree in the outer courtyard so she could spy on him while he shot at the range.

Of course, she was too little to shoot arrows, but instead she and her cousins had made slings so they could shoot small stones at targets. And she had become quite good, if she were to say so herself. Maybe even good enough that Crowley would be impressed.

She didn't know why, but she wanted to impress the Ranger Commandant, just a little. To see him acknowledge her skills or just nod approvingly at her.

Sometimes she tried to imitate him and sneak up behind the adults without them noticing, or just sneak away from her attendants, much to their, and her father's, frustration. But Crowley didn't seem to share their concern, so neither did she.

Of course, occasionally she took things a bit too far, such as today, and she got a lecture from her father.

"Cassandra, you have got to be more careful! What were you thinking going in to the horses and ride out by yourself? You could have been hurt!"

She knew she was in trouble the moment he used her full name. She also knew he expected an answer. "Sunflower wouldn't hurt me, dad. He's a good horse."

Duncan sighed. "That he may be, but he is also much bigger than you and could hurt you by accident. You need someone to help you with him; you're not big enough to handle him yourself and certainly not to ride out on your own."

"But dad, he's my horse!" Why couldn't he understand that?

"Yes, but you are still too little to handle him yourself. Do you understand that?" He looked at her sternly.

Cassandra hung her head. Her attendants never let her try any fun things when she was riding, but she knew her father would be very disappointed if she said no. "Yes, Father," she replied in a small voice.

Duncan sighed again and shook his head. "Thank the Lord that Crowley found you before you got hurt. You must never ride off like that again, Cass."

Cassandra looked up and glanced at the Commandant, who was standing quietly in the background. She hated she was being lectured in front of him, when she had just wanted to try and ride like he did, but she knew this was her punishment for making trouble.

The King looked at her. "Cassandra, you must promise never to do that again, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Father," she replied again. No more fun.

Apparently the Commandant took pity on her, because for the first time he spoke up. "I think she understands the seriousness of the situation, your majesty."

Duncan turned to look at him, a bit annoyed at his interruption.

"And if not, I'll be happy to explain it further." His tone and face were neutral and revealed nothing of what he thought. "This won't repeat itself, isn't that so?" he said looking at Cassandra.

"Yes, Crowley," she quickly replied.

After a moment Duncan nodded. "You're right. You may both go." He looked at Cassandra with some concern as she followed the Commandant out of the office. Sometimes he simply didn't know what to do with her.

Crowley and Cassandra walked down the hallway in silence next to each other for a few steps before Cassandra broke the silence.

"Thanks for helping me."

He inclined his head in a nod.

"Father can be a bit overprotective."

"Doesn't make him wrong, Cassandra. You could have been seriously hurt today."

She hung her head. It was bad enough that her father had told her off, but to have Crowley agree with him... she had to fight the tears that were coming. "I just wanted to ride like you do," she whispered.

"In that case, the next time come and ask me to teach you to do it instead."

Cassandra looked up surprised. There was a small smile on the Ranger's face. "Next time? You'll teach me?" She felt a sudden thrill at the thought.

He nodded. "Yes. If you promise to do as I tell you, exactly as I tell you."

She nodded eagerly, all tears forgotten.

"Good. Because I think we both know it's only a matter of time before you get bored and try something again, and give your father more grey hairs."

She grinned at bit guiltily. "I don't mean to cause trouble!"

"I know," Crowley replied with a little smile. "You just need to learn not to cause too much trouble. Now, we left the horses unattended after the ride and a rider should never do that, so as punishment for your little foray, you get to help me make things nice for the horses again."

"Yes, Crowley," she answered, trying not to sound too enthusiastic about it. Clearly Crowley had no idea how punishment was supposed to work and she wasn't about to tell him either if he didn't know. Getting the chance to help Crowley with Cropper was a dream come true.

She noticed Crowley looking at her and quickly adopted a more sombre expression. She didn't want to risk him changing his mind.

Crowley hid his own grin. He might not have any children, but he thought he understood the young princess quite well. And he had noticed she tended towards making trouble when she was bored. The simple solution; keep her occupied so she didn't have time to get bored.

There was a certain spring to her step as they walked towards the stables, and Crowley hoped he wouldn't regret his offer to teach her the different ways of riding.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Here you go; the next chapter in this little story of Cassandra and the Rangers.

* * *

"Keep your back straight. A lady never slouch in the saddle."

Cassandra almost rolled her eyes at the constant barrage of instructions of how a lady should ride her horse, but managed not to. Her teacher did have good advice for riding, but all those comments on how a lady should ride were sometimes enough to make her lose her mind, just a little. Like this last one; no one rode with their backs slouched, lady or not, so the comment just seemed unnecessary. She had seen her father and the knights ride plenty of times, and all the people who rode around here rode with straight backs. Maybe not the Battleschool beginners, but otherwise it held true. So the comment was stupid.

Cassandra rode at a trot, a light grip on the reins. She might not be very old, but she knew she wasn't a bad rider. And that was probably helped by the fact that Crowley sometimes gave her riding lessons, too. And he didn't make stupid comments on how a lady should ride. He taught her to ride like he did, like a Ranger, and she loved it. As she thought it she decided to show off a little and show her teacher that she could do more than she thought. She let go of the reins and rode using only her knees to tell the horse to turn left or right, loving the sense of freedom and adventure that came with it.

"No, no, no! Princess Cassandra, a lady does not ride without a firm grip on the reins!" Her teacher ran along and grabbed the reins pulling the horse to a stop. "You must always keep a firm grip on the reins to control the horse."

"But I can control it using my knees," she protested. "You just saw that."

Her teacher frowned disapprovingly. "Being able to turn your horse to the sides isn't enough; you must also be able to stop it at a moments notice or quickly speed up. Riding without holding the reins isn't a good way to ride for that."

"The Rangers do it," Cassandra said, narrowing her eyes slightly at her teacher, daring her to speak against them.

Her teacher hesitated. No one liked to speak badly of the Rangers and certainly not in the presence of the King or his daughter. "The Rangers are trained to ride differently, because they carry their bow," she said finally as way of explanation. "But it is not the proper way to ride for a lady."

This time Cassandra did roll her eyes. There it was again; for a lady. Well, she didn't much care about what was proper for a lady or not. As far as she was concerned the Ranger way was the better way.

"And what if I needed to carry something, too?" she challenged.

"A lady does not need to carry anything while riding. She will have attendants and maids in waiting to do so, if necessary."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "What if I didn't have any with me? What if I had to carry a weapon, too?"

"Carry a weapon? Why on Earth would you ever need to do something like that? You have knights to fight for you." She shook her head in bewilderment. Sometimes she just didn't understand the young princess, and she thought she might be influenced a bit too much by the Ranger Commandant at times. Of course, she knew he occasionally taught her about riding, too, and she wasn't so proud as to be insulted by that. After all, the Rangers were the Kingdoms foremost fighters and peacekeepers, so they were sure to have valuable lessons to teach. But this talk about having to carry weapons was too far fetched. She was a princess and surrounded by knights to protect her.

"Do you really think it couldn't happen where I would need to fight for myself?"

"You have knights to fight for you," she repeated. "Now let us stop with this silly talk of weapons and fighting. You are here to learn the finer points of riding, not how to ride with a weapon in hand."

Cassandra sighed, but did as her teacher told her and rode with a firm grip on the reins.

Not far away Crowley looked on, hidden behind a tree. He frowned slightly. He knew Lady Tremara meant well, but he was worried that her insistence on lady like manners would bore Cassandra and stifle her love of riding and horses. He might have to suggest a different teacher for the princess to the King, someone less occupied with what was proper for a lady and more focused on the actual riding. He wasn't sure either Lady Tremara nor the King would be particular happy about his meddling, but he didn't just have a duty to his King, he also had one to his princess. And that was making sure she had a teacher who understood her.


	3. Chapter 3

"YOU'RE WHAT?!"

"No need to shout, Cassandra," her father said reproachfully. "And you did hear me; no more running around wild and shooting at targets with that sling of yours. I'm taking it and that is my final word."

"But you can't do that!" she cried, although she made an effort to lower her voice into a more acceptable range. "It's MY sling! I made it myself!"

"I can and I am. I am your father and it is high time you learned how to behave like a proper lady, not run around like a wild child. You are ten now and not a little child any more."

Cassandra stared at him unable to believe what she was hearing. Her father was taking her sling. Was this really his birthday present for her? In that moment she conveniently forgot about the presents and party held in her honour; her sling was everything to her. It was her freedom. "But dad, it's my only weapon," she tried. "And I'm good with it. I don't know any other weapons."

Her father frowned. "Cass, you're a princess; you don't need to fight with a weapon. What you need is to learn how to behave at court and be a proper hostess for visiting barons and foreign dignitaries. Now, no more of this. Hand over your sling and let's be done with this." He held out his hand for the sling.

Cassandra just stared at him, refusing to give in. She would not give up her sling. She needed that sling. She hadn't even got the chance to show Crowley how good she had become.

"Cassandra..." her father said in a warning tone.

She shook her head stubbornly. Not her sling.

"If you force me to find it myself, then you will be punished," he said.

Cassandra shook her head again. "You'll never find it," she said in a low voice. She was angry and hurt. She couldn't believe he would take her sling from her.

Her father regarded her for a moment. He actually believed her. He knew she kept it hidden, because of his long disapproval of it, but he also knew someone who could find it. "Fine," he said. "You give me no other choice." With that he turned on his heel and left their apartment.

Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like her sling was safe, at least for now, but she knew she probably had to find a new hiding place for it, maybe in a completely different part of the castle.

She didn't get much time to think about it though, before her father came back, but this time he wasn't alone. Cassandra sucked in a quick breath of surprise and chock and felt a sudden worry drop like a stone in her stomach.

"Find it," was all her father said and Crowley gave a small bow of acknowledgement of the order.

"Crowley, please don't..." Cassandra pleaded.

Crowley's eyes met hers for a moment and she could see he wasn't happy about it, but he gave a single, small shake of his head and then started his search. Cassandra went to stop him, but her father grabbed her arm.

"You stay here. Since you won't tell where that sling is or hand it over yourself, Crowley will do it for you."

Somehow Cassandra felt even worse now than she had when her father had first demanded she hand over her sling. It was bad enough she was in trouble, but now Crowley had gotten involved in it, too, and she knew he wouldn't refuse her father's orders. That he couldn't. He had, after all, sworn him eternal loyalty and that went beyond any loyalty he had towards her. He was the King's Ranger. She knew he had tried to protect her in the past when her father got irate with her and deflect some of the punishment, but a direct order was a direct order. And she knew the Ranger Commandant _would_ find her sling, because Rangers were good at finding things. So she was forced to stand there in a painful silence as Crowley searched her chambers, while her father kept a firm grip on her arm.

"Here is it, your majesty," Crowley said softly, as he handed her sling over to him. He didn't look at Cassandra, who sent him a pained look.

Duncan took it in one hand, looked at it for a moment, then nodded to Crowley. "Well done. Where did she hide it?"

Cassandra felt herself stiffen. Please don't tell him, Crowley, she thought desperately. But again Crowley could not go against a direct command or question from his King.

"Under a loose floor tile in the bathing chamber, your majesty."

Cassandra's heart sank as she realised her best hiding place had just been revealed.

Her father nodded. "Thank you, Crowley. You may go."

Crowley bowed slightly to him, then turned around and left the apartment.

Cassandra had tears in her eyes as she looked at her father. "Father, please... Please don't take my sling," she said in a small voice.

Duncan shook his head. "You're too big for this any more, Cassandra. It's time you start to act like a proper lady. Now go to your room."

Cassandra ran to her rooms and slammed the door behind her. She knew her father would probably be angry about that, but she didn't care. He had taken her sling, worse he had made Crowley give him her sling. And she knew she wouldn't be allowed to have fun any more; from now on she was expected to act like a proper lady. She hated it already.

§

Duncan let out a sigh. He hated to see Cassandra like this, but there was no way around it; otherwise she would simply continue to run around wild like that with her cousins, and she wasn't a random peasant girl or even a someday knight; she was the princess of Araluen and she needed to start acting the part. "I don't think I was ever this difficult," Duncan mumbled. He forgot the one thing that separated him and his daughter was that he had gotten plenty of opportunities to prove himself and get rid of the restless energy as a boy, while the same didn't hold true for a young girl.

He stepped out of the apartment; he needed some air after the fight with Cassandra.

"She didn't seem too happy about your decision, my King," Crowley said softly next to him.

Duncan nearly jumped. He hadn't expected the Ranger Commandant to still be here, much less sneaking up on him like that.

"Crowley! Don't startle me like that," he said, working to bring his sudden fast pulse back under control.

"My apology; I didn't mean to startle you."

Like hell you did, Duncan thought. You enjoy sneaking up on people; I see it all the time. But he didn't say it out loud. There was no reason to antagonise the Ranger and he had a feeling Crowley didn't approve of being used to find and take his daughter's sling, and that this was his quiet way of making that known.

He looked plainly at the Commandant for a moment. His face revealed nothing, but it did seem to be cast in deeper shadows than usual as they strode down the hallway. Or maybe the light was just playing a trick on him.

Duncan shook his head. "I had to do it, Crowley," he said. "She is the princess of Araluen and she is running wild. It has to stop. She has to learn how to behave properly." For some reason he really wanted Crowley to understand his side of things, to agree with him.

"You mean to behave like a lady." Again there was no hint in his voice as to how he felt.

"Yes."

There was a moment of silence then Crowley spoke again. "My King, Cassandra is not Rosalind. I ask that you remember that as you teach her how to be a lady."

Duncan stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the Ranger Commandant. "What?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

Crowley knew he was treading into dangerous waters by what he was saying, but he also knew no one else would be willing to say this to the King, so he had too. He faced his King fully once more.

"I mean no disrespect, my King. Queen Rosalind was a fine lady and I doubt a finer one could be found in the Kingdom. " He took a deep breath before he continued. "But Cassandra is not like her mother, your majesty. So I ask that you remember that and don't try to make her fit her mould."

Duncan narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you telling me what to do with my daughter, Crowley?" He was already worn out mentally from the fight with Cassandra and the last thing he wanted was to have Crowley of all people lecture him.

But Crowley shook his head. "No, your majesty. I'm just saying you should remember that your daughter is her own person. She will make a fine young lady, too, but she will never be the same as her mother." Crowley held his King's gaze.

For a long moment the two of them just stood there staring at each other. Then finally Duncan let go of a pent up breath.

"I know she's not the same, Crowley. But she still can't run around wild." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration as they started to walk again. He sighed, frustration evident in his manner. "I don't know where she got all this restless energy from."

"If I may venture a guess, my King, I'd say she got it from you."

Duncan stopped dead again. Crowley stopped, too, and looked calmly into his eyes. Finally Duncan waved a hand in the air to dismiss Crowley. "Thank you, Crowley, that will be all."

Crowley bowed to him and then turned around and glided down the hallway like a giant shadow.

Duncan continued on his way to the battlements on top of the tower. He leaned out over them, surveying his land. Then he let go of a short bark of laughter and shook his head. Leave it up to Crowley to remind him just who his daughter took after. She might have her mother's small stature, but she had his fierceness and iron will, which explained why they clashed so often.

He shook his head again. It was probably a good thing he had Crowley to keep him honest with himself, even if he sometimes infuriated him.

When he let Cassandra out of her rooms a few days later he made sure not all of her lesson were quiet and still, but that some of them would be a little more active, so she wouldn't get too bored. But he didn't give her back her sling.


	4. Chapter 4

Cassandra didn't have any lessons right now, and she took full advantage of that fact to get out of the castle itself and into the larger courtyard. It made her feel free and alive whenever she could get out of the castle and into the green areas either inside or outside the castle walls. But of course, she was only allowed to go outside the castle walls if she had an escort.

Even so she loved the feeling of air and plenty of space around her. Not that the castle was small or crowded, it just felt that way, in particular since she was almost always surrounded by people. But out here in the outer courtyard there was more open space and further between the people even though the castle still had plenty of occupants here. The open space reminded her of when she and her cousins had run around together and had had shooting competitions against various random targets. They were too old and too busy to spend that much time with her now; they were both training to be knights, while she was learning how to be a proper lady and princess.

Cassandra sighed. Then she leaned back her head and turned her face to the sun. Sometimes she wished she could be a knight, too, but she knew it was an impossible dream.

"You certainly have a lot of faith in people stepping around you." A shadow fell over her.

Cassandra opened her eyes and looked up at the person sitting astride a small horse, leaning ever so slightly forward and looking down at her.

Cassandra could see it was a Ranger, simply by the longbow held casually in one hand, but it wasn't Crowley; the voice and horse was wrong for that. And having had her face turned towards the sun she now had trouble seeing any detail.

"Who are you?" she said, finally giving up on identifying the Ranger against the glare of the sun.

"I suppose it's been too long since I was last here, if you no longer know who I am, your highness." He swung off the horse, coming down to her height. "But I suppose you think we are all like Crowley, anyway," he finished gruffly.

Cassandra broke into a smile. "Halt. Sorry, I didn't recognise you at first; the sun's glare cast you in a silhouette."

"That was the idea," he replied.

Cassandra's smile widened a little as she realised she had just been given one of those hidden Ranger lessons Crowley sometimes gave, too. She was pretty sure her father didn't approve of those, which was why they were not obvious lessons, but more like random little things here and there.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said, and she thought she saw a hint of a smile on Halt's face.

"What brings you to stand around in the middle of the courtyard all by yourself?"

Cassandra sighed again. "I needed some air; sometimes the castle just feels so stifling and stultifying."

Halt nodded his understanding. "I think those two may be much the same, but it is true castles can feel that way after enough time spent inside them."

The two of them were walking towards the stables together, and Cassandra felt glad to have the Ranger's company, despite the fact she had gone out here to be alone for a bit. Somehow the company of the Rangers never felt like an intrusion or a disturbance. They were simply there; quiet and calm. They walked in silence for a while, while Cassandra tried to formulate a question.

"Halt?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," he pointed out. "But you can ask another one."

She smiled slightly at that. "What's it like to always be travelling around out there?"

Halt was silent for a moment as he considered his response. "Most of the time it's quiet and calm; just me and Abelard." He patted Abelard's neck as he spoke. "It's sleeping under the open sky on warm, clear nights, or in a small tent on the colder and wetter nights. It's cooking over a camp fire, or eating cold rations while I keep watch. It's being constantly vigilant and ready for whatever might happen; I don't have any backup other than my horse, so I can't afford to relax too much.

"It's freedom of movement and I go wherever my duty takes me."

Cassandra felt a slight pang in her heart at that; she wished she could go wherever she wanted, too.

"Sounds wonderful," she said quietly.

"It certainly has its perks," Halt replied. "But there's also a lot of danger involved in the job," he cautioned her. "We usually travel alone; so if anything happens we are also on our own. Being a Ranger is a hard and dangerous job, but for those of us who enjoy life under the open sky and in the forest, it is perfect. We Rangers usually prefer being on our own rather than surrounded by people."

"Sounds good to me," Cassandra mumbled.

They had reached the stables and entered together. A stableboy came forward to take Abelard's reins, but Halt shook his head.

"I'll take care of him myself," he told the boy. The boy nodded, cast a quick look at Cassandra, who did her best to pretend not to notice, before the boy went back to whatever he had been doing before they came in.

Halt quickly got Abelard unloaded and removed the saddle and bridle, so he could rub him down. Cassandra sat on the stall wall separating the stalls watching him.

"Do you always take care of Abelard yourself?" She took great care in trying to remember the names of the Rangers she met as well as their horses, knowing that a Ranger was strongly tied to his horse.

"Usually," Halt replied. "Unless I'm in a hurry; then someone else can do it."

"You're not in a hurry today?"

Halt shook his head. "Just going to a routine meeting with the King," he replied.

Cassandra smiled a little at that. She didn't know anyone other than Halt and Crowley, who would talk about her father so casually as if he wasn't their King at all, but just a random person they happened to know and serve. It was refreshing, she thought, to have someone around who didn't seem all that impressed with her father or his title, though they still always treated him with respect. She idly wondered what would happen if her father ever lost that respect, though she didn't think it likely; Halt and Crowley had both served him loyally since before he became King and she knew they had been responsible for saving her father and grandfather from Morgarath's evil claws.

Neither of them spoke as Halt carefully rubbed down Abelard, but Halt did give Cassandra the apple he usually gave to him, and she rubbed the horse behind one ear as he took the apple from her open hand. She liked how Halt included her and didn't make her feel like she shouldn't be here or was in the way.

Halt finished with Abelard and held out a hand to help Cassandra down from the stall wall.

"Going to the castle proper now?" Cassandra asked as they left the stables.

Halt nodded. "As I said I do have a meeting with the King; as one of his advisors I do have those regularly."

Cassandra giggled at his dry and matter of fact tone, and Halt raised an eyebrow in her direction. She stifled her laughter and merely smiled at him.

"Halt?" she asked as they were almost on the steps up to the castle.

"Yes?"

"Would you care to accompany me outside the castle walls for a ride later?" She suddenly felt a bit nervous he would say no, but he merely inclined his head slightly in her direction.

"It will be my pleasure," he replied, as he held open the door for her.

Cassandra's face lit up in a bright smile and she gave him a quick hug before realising that probably wasn't very lady like. Smiling a bit sheepishly at him, she gave him a little wave of her hand as she turned to go to her chambers. "See you later, then."

Halt merely nodded. He stood in the entrance hall for a little while looking after the young princess wondering if perhaps she didn't spent a little too much time cooped up inside the castle walls. He would have to mention it to Crowley later. But for now he better announce his presence to the King; in all likelihood someone had already told him Halt was here and it didn't do to let the King wait too long. A little was okay though. As far as Halt was concerned it was good for everybody to be kept waiting every now and then, even Kings. Especially Kings.

§

Halt made sure to take Cassandra on a long ride around the nearby country in the afternoon, going both fast and slow, and letting her feel the sheer joy of riding her horse, while he kept watch of potential dangers. Of course, he knew you would have to be pretty suicidal to attack the princess while she was in the presence of a Ranger, but it was Halt's philosophy that it was best to be prepared for the worst. He was almost disappointed that no one tried anything.

But Cassandra fell asleep that evening with a smile on her face remembering the wind in her hair and on her face, and Halt's quiet, calm presence next to her, secure in the knowledge that the King's Rangers would always be there to protect her and keep her safe.


	5. Chapter 5

Cassandra was dancing. She loved to dance and it was one of her favourite lessons. Of course, she wasn't being tutored right now, but instead making use of all she had learned in her lessons at the King's ball. She smiled at her father, who smiled back.

"Thanks for taking the time to dance with me, dad."

"Any time, Cass. You are my favourite daughter, after all."

Cassandra laughed. "I'm your _only_ daughter," she teased back.

"True," Duncan said.

They danced on in companionable silence until the music ended to give the dancers a chance to pick a new partner and the musicians a quick respite before playing again.

"Thanks for the dance, Cass. Lady Violet's lessons have really paid off for you, I can see."

"Thanks, dad."

He patted her hand before going off to see to the rest of his guests as a king must.

Cassandra smiled a bit sadly. Her father had taken the time to dance with her, but he couldn't devote all his time to her, and she didn't want to spend the entire evening shadowing him. He was king and had his duties, just as she had hers.

Cassandra started walking the floor responding to greetings and sending out a few of her own as she recognised different people. She liked to play a game with herself at these kind of parties, where she tried to recall the names and titles of those around her seeing how many she had managed to memorise during the introductions.

That there is the Count of Iell; he's as slippery as an eel. Over there is Lady Voltaine, who likes roses and fountains. Mistress Eoweé is lovely as the evening, and her sister, Norweé, as the morning.

Cassandra had made little rhymes and used different mnemonic techniques to remember people by taught to her both by her father, her various teachers, and Crowley. Thinking of the Ranger Commandant made her look for him; she hadn't seen him at all this evening, but she knew he would be here somewhere. He always was.

She drifted around, her eyes scanning the crowd until she finally spotted a Ranger's drab clothes in the sea of colour that was everyone else.

"Crowley, there you are. I haven't seen you all evening," she said with a smile as she approached him.

He smiled back and bowed slightly. Cassandra rolled her eyes at the formality; Crowley was only that formal with her when there were others around.

"Evening, Princess. I wasn't aware that you were looking for me." He said it with a slight smile and she felt pretty sure he had spotted her coming before she had spotted him and had waited for her to catch up.

Cassandra let her breath go in a huff. "Crowley, stop being so formal. My dad isn't here and besides I've always known you; you can drop the formality."

"Still doesn't change who you are, my lady," he replied, still with that slight smile in place.

Cassandra smiled back. She couldn't be mad at Crowley even if she preferred it when he called her by her name.

"But you are correct that your father isn't right here, right now; he's currently about 30 meters away," another voice said from behind her.

Cassandra twisted around and smiled even wider as she recognised the second speaker. "Halt! I didn't hear you coming."

"I should hope not," Crowley muttered at the same time as Halt said: "Of course not."

Cassandra looked from one Ranger to the other and her smile broadened. She had always loved the Rangers and the way they could move around without anyone noticing. It was truly amazing.

"You know, one day you have to teach me how to do that."

"I'm not entirely sure your father would approve of that," Crowley said thoughtfully.

"You could not tell him?" Cassandra suggested.

Crowley chuckled. "Ah, the suggestion of a fellow mischief maker. But as the King's Ranger I'm afraid I'd have to."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. She knew there were plenty of things Crowley hadn't told her father over the years.

Crowley saw her reaction and nodded towards Halt. "You forget we have a witness; Halt would now know if I agreed to not tell my King about teaching you the secrets of the Rangers."

"Yeah, but Halt's a Ranger, too," Cassandra said eyeing him. "And Rangers are good at keeping secrets."

A smile tugged at the corner of Halt's mouth. "That's true. I think she got you cornered, Crowley."

"I know," Crowley said with a dramatic sigh. "She's good at doing that."

Cassandra laughed. She knew they were going light on her, because she had listened in a couple of times when they were meeting with her father and they didn't go light on him.

"Are you two having fun at the ball?" she asked politely, though she was truly curious. Cassandra was curious about most things that had to do with the Rangers.

"You do know we are not here to have fun, right?" Halt replied.

Crowley nodded. "We are at work. As the King's Rangers it's our job to keep watch of what's happening and ensure a nice and uneventful evening for everyone."

"Yes. It should be as boring as possible for the King's esteemed guests," Halt said dryly.

Cassandra shook her head. "Surely you can have a bit of fun as well."

Both Rangers shrugged in a non committal way.

"Not our job," Crowley said.

Cassandra eyed them, not sure she truly believed them. "Well, I think you can do your jobs and still have some fun."

"Oh? And do you have any suggestions for how to do that?" Crowley asked.

Cassandra frowned. "Um, what is your job, exactly? Keeping watch?"

"Something like that," Crowley replied.

"And keeping things quiet," Halt said.

"Well... then perhaps you could do that in a fun way?"

Crowley and Halt both raised an eyebrow, and a smile tugged at Crowley's mouth. "In a fun way?" he enquired.

Cassandra nodded, feeling more confident in her case; the Rangers should have fun, too. "Yes. You like sneaking up behind people and surprising them; don't even try to deny it," she added to Crowley pointing a finger at him. "I've seen you do it too many times to believe otherwise."

Crowley gave her an innocent, hurt look, while Halt suppressed a smile knowing she was right.

"So sneak around and keep watch and have some fun doing it," she finished with a big smile.

"'Have some fun', she says," Halt said.

Crowley nodded. "Ranger style fun, even," he agreed.

"And that's an order," Cassandra added, just to be sure.

Both Rangers bowed to her. "As our Princess commands." They exchanged a look then smoothly turned in each their direction and glided away.

Cassandra slowly walked after Crowley doing her best to keep him in sight while still greeting people along the way, and saw how he just seemed to glide right up behind a small group talking together and then suddenly speaking up and interjecting himself in the conversation. The effect was fascinating; the person nearest to Crowley practically jumped when Crowley first spoke, then jumped again when he twisted around and found himself face to face with one of the King's Rangers.

Cassandra snickered. Then she scowled slightly as someone blocked her view and when she once again got a clear line of sight, Crowley was gone.

She looked around with frustration building; once you lost view of a Ranger it was damn hard finding them again. She turned her eyes to the ceiling in frustration. What to do now? She had finally gotten Crowley and Halt to liven things up a little and now she couldn't see them. Oh, the annoyance of being small. Then her eyes fell on the balustrade and she got an idea.

Cassandra hurried to the staircase leading up and quickly found herself a good spot to watch the crowd. She stared intently, trying to spot either Ranger. Then she realised the drab clad Rangers would be even harder to spot from here than they had been on the floor.

She let the air out in a frustrated huff as her eyes roamed the crowd. Then she spotted a sudden jerk out the corner of her eye and just had time to see Halt before he disappeared in the crowd again. She realised Halt had surprised a small group of people just like Crowley had and a slow smile spread on her face as she leaned on the balustrade. She might not be able to keep track of them, but she could see the effect they had, so that was what she would look for instead. She tried not to stare too hard at any particular spot, not knowing when or where they would strike, but instead to let her eyes roam over the crowd almost lazily. And ever so slowly a pattern appeared before her eyes as Crowley and Halt surprised and spooked people all over the hall. Cassandra watched it all with a slight smile on her face until she saw her father looking up at her. He caught her eye and she waved at him. As he beckoned her to come down she nodded and shrugged mentally. It had been fun watching Crowley and Halt at work, trying to figure out when and where they would surprise people, but she was a hostess and couldn't stay up here all night. Her father was right; she needed to get back to her duties as well.

She glided gracefully through the hall and over to her father, who greeted her with a smile then a slight frown as his latest conversation ended.

"Cass, you wouldn't happen to know what Crowley and Halt are doing and why?" His tone of voice made it pretty clear that he suspected she might be involved in it.

Cassandra looked at him guileless. "Their jobs, I think. Watching, listening." She paused for just a moment before she added. "And having fun."

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "Having fun? I don't think that's in their job description."

"Well, it's a party; you're supposed to have fun at a party," Cassandra countered.

"True enough, but preferably without scaring my guests," Duncan said frowning again. He had clearly noticed the changes ripple through the crowd as well.

"Oh, come now, dad. Let them have a bit of fun; they are so serious all the time."

Duncan gave her an exasperated look. "And there's a reason for that, Cassandra."

Uh-oh, Cassandra thought. We're on full names.

"Did you tell them to do this?" Duncan asked.

Cassandra knew better than to lie. "Not this directly," she said. Duncan raised an eyebrow. "I just ordered them to have some fun," she finished.

"Well, then go order them to stop having fun. Or at least any kind of fun that involves scaring my guests." His tone of voice was somewhere between exasperation and frustration and Cassandra decided it was probably best not to argue the point with him.

"Yes, dad. I'll try to find them right away." If I can, she added in her mind. Rangers were notoriously hard to find.

"You do that." Cassandra started to turn away, but her father's voice stopped her. "And Cassandra? Please don't get any more 'fun' ideas like this. Stick to being a good hostess."

"Yes, dad," she replied dutifully. Then she set off to locate the two Rangers.

"You look like you're looking for someone," a voice came from her right. She turned her head and looked into Halt's serious face.

"She most definitely does look that way," another voice agreed. Cassandra turned her head and saw Crowley sending a lopsided smile her way.

She stood a little straighter and held her head high as she said: "Actually, I've found someone."

But both Rangers shook their heads.

"No..." Crowley began. "I'm pretty sure _we_ found _you_. Don't you agree, Halt?"

"I do," Halt said.

"So it doesn't count," Crowley finished.

Cassandra put one hand on her hip trying her best to give them a stern look. It had absolutely no effect. "Well, one way or another, here you are, regardless of who found whom."

"True enough," Crowley conceded.

"So what did you have in mind this time?" Halt asked. "Surely you didn't go looking for us for no reason."

Cassandra looked at both, trying to read their faces. She felt pretty sure they already knew why, but both wore a mask of polite interest that made it impossible to guess what they were really thinking. She sighed. "Dad says to tell you to stop having fun. Or at least stop scaring his guests."

"Is that a suggestion or an order?" Halt asked.

Cassandra looked at them a bit surprised. They were more serious now (well, Halt was always serious) and looking at her intently. She felt a bit uncomfortable under that gaze.

"What do you say?" Crowley added when she didn't immediately answer.

She realised she had been too vague in her approach. Before she had given them a direct order. This time she had, well, she wasn't even sure what she would call it. Telling on her dad? She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders once more.

"It was an order," she said in a firm voice. "You can have fun, but only as long as it doesn't interfere with your job or upsets the guests."

Halt nodded and Crowley smiled slightly. Cassandra realised she had just passed whatever small test they had set for her.

"Very well, we'll make sure to do that then," Crowley said. He bowed slightly to her then glided away. Cassandra shook her head and mumbled after him: "You don't have to be so formal with me, Crowley."

"Yes, he does," Halt corrected her. She looked at him in surprise; she had actually expected Halt to glide away as soon as Crowley did, but he was still next to her. "We are at the King's ball in full view of everyone. We must be seen to show you the respect expected of the Princess of Araluen. It's one thing to be informal and casual when it's just us, but another all together when there's guests around. You will have to learn the difference and remember it."

Cassandra was taken aback by Halt's words. Both their meaning and how many he had said in a row; Halt wasn't known to be very talkative.

"Oh," was all she could think of saying.

Then Halt reached out and patted her arm lightly. "But you did do well in giving commands; keep it up and you'll make a great queen one day."

Cassandra smiled broadly at the compliment. "Thanks, Halt!"

He smiled slightly in return, then bowed to her. "My Lady," he said as a farewell greeting.

"Ranger Halt," she replied royally.

She saw him nod almost imperceptible in approval, then he glided away into the crowd as Crowley had done and she was alone in the sea of people again. She let go of a slight sigh, then shook herself out of it. Stop it, Cass. You're the princess; no reason to feel sorry for yourself just because Halt and Crowley aren't around any more. There's plenty of other people to talk to and you are the hostess of this ball. Time to act like it.

She squared her shoulders once again, put a beaming smile on her face and set off to greet and chat with people around the hall.

From a corner of the room Crowley watched in approval. She would make a great queen one day and he hoped he would have the pleasure to serve her when that day came. Until then he would do his best to keep her safe and sound, no matter the cost.


End file.
